Sushma Choudhury, whose voice had inspired Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, breathed her last on November 18 in the state capital. She was 82.

Born in a middle-class family in Surul village of West Bengal on April 10, 1922, she was the eldest of four siblings. Her melodious voice inspired Gurudev so much that he asked her father Bhudhar Chandra Mukherjee, a Visva-Bharati contractor, to get her admitted to the institute.

?Gurudev asked my grandfather why he did not get my mother admitted to the school run by Visva-Bharati. When my grandfather told him the reason, he asked her to send Sushma, my mother, to school and said fees will not be charged from her,? said Snigdha Sarkar, Sushma?s eldest daughter.

Sushma died after a prolonged battle with asthma. She was one of those well-read people whose company was most cherished, especially by lovers of music, dance and literature, who came to her for advice and blessings.

To the younger generation, she was more than an old granny with bifocal lenses.

Sushma said she had an Esraj? a musical instrument ? which Gurudev used to borrow from her whenever he needed it for a performance.

Her teachers included Kshitimohan Sen, grandfather of Amartya Sen, Shanti Dev Ghose, Sailajananda Mazumdar. Mahasweta Devi, singer Kanika Bandopadhyaya and Gauri Devi, daughter of artist Nandalal Bose, were a year senior to her.

Sushma was a member of several organisations, including Ranchi Tagore Society and Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan.

While studying in Santiniketan, Sushma came in touch with Panchanan Chowdhury, who was doing his postgraduation in English Literature from the same university. Both fell in love and got married on June 21, 1941. Her husband got a job in the auditor-general (AG)?s office in Ranchi.

After her marriage, when she returned to Ranchi, she took part in many plays like Bishorjon and Manmoi Girls? School on behalf of Mahila Samiti.

She also prepared the participants for a dance drama Nater Pujo, which was played for Hinoo Friends? Club.

?She was a school in herself. Although she was not highly educated, she was respected by people of all ages. She brought to Ranchi the culture of Santiniketan and Gurudev and kept it alive for years. Even after her death she will be an inspiration for many,? said Subhra Chatterjee, professor in the Bengali department of Ranchi Women?s College.